[Jeremy] Corbyn was a disaster on the doorstep. Everyone knew that he couldn't lead the working class out of a paper bag. Now Jon's developed this Momentum group, this party within a party, aiming to keep the purity, the culture of betrayal goes on.
You'll hear it more and more now over the next couple of days as this little cult get their act together. I want them out of the party. I want Momentum gone. Go back to your student politics and your little left wing." - Meaning and context.">
Interview (with Jon Lansman among others) during ITV's coverage of the results of the 2019 general election (13 December 2019), as cited in "General election: Former Labour home secretary rants about ‘disaster’ Corbyn after heavy defeat", The Independent (13 December 2019).
• The Labour Party won 202 seats in 2019, its lowest since the 1935 general election.
“

I don't live in London, I live in Yorkshire, I live in a working class constituency. I've known Jon [Lansman] for many years – Jon's been around from the Bennite days. I'm afraid the working classes have always been a big disappointed for Jon and his cult.
[Jeremy] Corbyn was a disaster on the doorstep. Everyone knew that he couldn't lead the working class out of a paper bag. Now Jon's developed this Momentum group, this party within a party, aiming to keep the purity, the culture of betrayal goes on.
You'll hear it more and more now over the next couple of days as this little cult get their act together. I want them out of the party. I want Momentum gone. Go back to your student politics and your little left wing.

— Alan Johnson

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "I don't live in London, I live in Yorkshire, I live in a working class constituency. I've known Jon [Lansman] for many years – Jon's been around from the Bennite days. I'm afraid the working classes have always been a big disappointed for Jon and his cult.
[Jeremy] Corbyn was a disaster on the doorstep. Everyone knew that he couldn't lead the working class out of a paper bag. Now Jon's developed this Momentum group, this party within a party, aiming to keep the purity, the culture of betrayal goes on.
You'll hear it more and more now over the next couple of days as this little cult get their act together. I want them out of the party. I want Momentum gone. Go back to your student politics and your little left wing." in the context of "Interview (with Jon Lansman among others) during ITV's coverage of the results of the 2019 general election (13 December 2019), as cited in "General election: Former Labour home secretary rants about ‘disaster’ Corbyn after heavy defeat", The Independent (13 December 2019).
• The Labour Party won 202 seats in 2019, its lowest since the 1935 general election." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Quote Image
Source: Wikiquote: "Alan Johnson" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 19, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Alan Johnson

About Alan Johnson

Alan Johnson (born 17 May 1950) is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for Education and Skills from 2006 to 2007, Secretary of State for Health from 2007 to 2009, Home Secretary from 2009 to 2010, and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2010 to 2011. A member of the Labour Party, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle from 1997 to 2017.